Deer Park’s Delayed Memory Project Art Exchange Is Complete

Press release from Deer Park School District:

April 6, 2021

During the 2019-2020 school year, a group of 16 fifth graders from Deer Park’s John F. Kennedy Intermediate School completed the Memory Project international art exchange with art teacher Briana Nussbaum, with the goal of exchanging artwork with students in Pakistan.

To complete their activity, the JFK students met with Nussbaum several times during their lunch periods, bringing their lunches to the art room, learning about the students in Pakistan and brainstorming ideas for their artwork. The fifth graders used various art media and incorporated themes of friendship, peace and happiness.

The artwork was set to be exchanged at the end of March 2020, but the process was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in the 2020-2021 school year, Nussbaum was finally able to send the artwork from the students in Pakistan to her students, who are now sixth graders at Robert Frost Middle School.

“When I found out that we would not be returning to teaching in school for the remainder of the school year, I made sure to bring my students’ artwork home,” Nussbaum said. “They had been working so hard and I knew how much it meant to be a part of this special opportunity. I was in touch with members of the Memory Project organization, and they were so happy to help and make this work. Our students were thrilled to find that the art exchange was complete. This opportunity allowed my students to connect with students from another country and learn that we can all be united through our art.”

This press release was produced by Deer Park School District. The views expressed here are the author's own.